Inaugurated in May 2014, the prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut is one of the more modern Belgian prisons. It is located in a rural area on a surface of 14 hectares and can accommodate 352 male inmates, including 12 inmates in a community regime. The prison has a modern star-shaped form and consists of several buildings, each with its own function (entrance, visit facilities, cellular,) but connected to each other. The use of glass as a main building material as well as the integration of art, colour and several green zones in the prison design provides for a more humane living and work climate. It is built and operated based on a public-private partnership (DBFM agreement). 

 

A special characteristic of the Leuze prison is a detention regime based on social responsibility. The aim is to provide valorisation of achievements and to encourage inmates to develop new skills in order to better prepare them for their rehabilitation. The prison offers a wide range of training courses (cooking,horticulture, language courses), recreational group activities (cinema, sport, etc.) and various possibilities for work, aimed at providing a purposeful detention. The basic regime consists of a common offer of daily activities for all inmates, following a standard timetable.

 

The prison cells in Leuze-en-Hainaut are equipped with a shower and a digital service platform allowing inmates to make phone calls, order products in the prison canteen, make appointments with prison services, which contributes to the independence of the inmate and limits the digital divide.